Wingardium Leviosa

CREATIVE SCHOOLS: GIVING AN ANSWER TO STUDENTS NEEDS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." We all live in the same world, but we all do not share the same reality and not have the resources to enjoy this type of education. There are different problems in education worldwide, but on this project I will focus on the problems that exist in the current education in Spain. For example, bullying, heavy backpacks, too much homework, too much theory that is not put in practice, large timetables, etc. It is also important to explain which are the needs of students in the XXI century that are reflected in the projects that we have done about our ideal schools. 

The purpose is to improve the nowadays education, but there are some restrictions that do not allow or hinder the process of change. As we saw in class, some of these restrictions are:

1. Schools aren't adapted, some schools aren't adapted to the necessities of the children with physical or psychological problems.

2. School dropout, in Spain almost 20% of the children leave the school without any guaranties and without being qualified. The 24% of the students leave their studies before finish the secondary education. The 23% of the students finish later than the others because of repeating a course.

3. Family, the opinion of the parents about the teachers and the methodologies that they use is a constant pressure for them. .

4. Family-economy, sometimes education is exclusive because go to the school is free but the families have to pay materials, uniforms...

5. Scholarships and government supports, the requirements for the scholarships are very strict and they can't get them but really they need help to face the school expenses. The budget is very close and between 2008-2011, Spain incremented the total spent in education around a 4%.

Some of the ideas from the videos that we saw in class and help us to build our ideal school are:

-Education is not the same all over the world, students have different subjects that often do not fit the context and depend on many factors, such as demographic factors.

-The creativity and human imagination are also very important, students have to develop creative skills and discover their talents. It is therefore important to consider creativity as literacy in education.

- Students must develop the ability to innovate without fear, if they are not ready to make mistakes, they never do anything.

- There are not subjects that are more important than other subjects, for example, mathematics can be very useful for the children, but also dance or draw.

-The academic ability is important and could be acquired by any child because intelligence is dynamic.

-Also is important to consider the space and the context in which children are educated, because this factors can influence their education. Obviously, it is not the same to live with your family in a house that is located in the city to live in a house in a village or in a shantytown.

As we saw in another video in class, the school that had a circular architecture, for me, was the ideal place to educate children. The architecture of a building and the separation in different parts, favors personal development of the children who study in this type of place. The architecture is a roof. This school is open all year round, which benefits families that works all day and have not any palce to leave their children. In this school children are not controlled and they do not get nervous, they need a small dose of danger, so they learn to help others and to care for themselves. Children do not need any training, through the various activities that they do, they can acquire different athletic skills or abilities to solve their problems.

Often, children classified subjects as easy or difficult, funny or boring, depending on whether they are good or not in these subjects. All courses can be fun, it is demonstrated that the pupils acquire the knowledge through practical activities and not memorizing the theory. Science subjects can also be interesting, we can do different activities and experiments to encourage student’s curiosity and desire to know more. Also children can participate with their parents in this type of activities. Imagination is more important than intelligence.

As already mentioned, there are many problems in education today. To begin with, the times are very long and students spend a lot of time at schools. The homework excess is also a problem, children do not have time to play and to spend time with their families. The structures and the environment of many schools do not provide the means that students need to acquire new knowledge. Because of the crisis, there is not enough money to improve school structures. The methodologies used by many professors are old and do not encourage the acquisition of new knowledge and do not provoke the motivation and interest of students. The methodologies that were once used should be changed and based on constructivism methodologies. Students should create their own knowledge with the help of teachers, who are the guides.

The relationship between parents and teachers is also very important, since many parents believe that bring their children to class is sufficient and it is not. There has to be some involvement of parents in the education their children receive in schools and help teachers to teach good values to their children. Another important aspect that needs to change is the organization of classes, work in groups has many benefits. Cooperative learning is a good way to encourage student’s communication skills and work the multiculturalism. A major current problem is the bullying, because teachers often do not know what students have such problems. To build a great school, we need to teach students to solve problems peacefully, talking and reaching agreements.

Of course, exclusive schools should be replaced by inclusive schools, where children with physical and psychological problems have the same means that children who do not have these types of problems. Moreover, teachers must adapt to the changes that appear in education and therefore, there should be evidence to assess the capabilities of each teacher. The tests are necessary, but not in a excessively way. There are other ways of acquiring knowledge, for example, carrying out projects. Many students are not motivated because their knowledge depend on an exam that often goes wrong and they get low marks. Learning should be demonstrated in a practical way and not by examination. A good or a bad mark cannot determine your knowledge.

CONCLUSION:

My ideal school would be the school which can meet all these requirements, or at least most of them:

-New methodologies based on constructivism who replace traditional methodologies. Promote learning through projects and encouraging cooperative learning. Acquire new skills doing different activities and workshops for each subject. Reducing the amount of duties and implement formative assessment. Activities in which children develop different responsibilities and critical thinking. Establish a closer relationship between teachers and students, but without forgetting that the teacher has to have authority and must also trust on students. The contact with the nature is important, the best way to learn is not to be enclosed within four walls. Innovation plays an important role in education, introduce new TIC'S in class is a good idea, but in a controlled way and not leave it alone some traditional methods that are flattering to acquire new knowledge.

-Interaction between parents and teachers. It is very important the collaboration between the, because it is easier to track the progress of each student. Parents should go to some classes with their children and also to open days.

-Promote the development of different values ​​that favor the education of students. For example, respect, solidarity, tolerance, empathy, multiculturalism, equality, etc.

-Provide the necessary resources to students who have difficulty attending schools. For example, grants for school transport, grants for materials, etc. That equality of resources must be the same in all public educational institutions, as we all have the same rights.

-Change the current class hours, more flexible schedules and extended breaks between school hours. Parents who cannot adjust their work schedules should have the possibility to leave their children at school.

-Finally, my ideal school would have green spaces, adaptable furniture, must be illuminated with natural light classes, must have large classes, a swimming pool, tennis courts to practice sports, computer rooms, a small garden, pets, etc. 

Finally, it is not enough to change the structure and other factors that influence the current education. The most important thing is that teachers are willing to change their minds and to fight for these changes that will benefit their students. Finally, I am going to explain some of the qualities which I want to have as a teacher:

-I want to be a motivated teacher because motivation is the key for anything that we want to achieve in our life, if we are motivated as teachers, is easier to transmit this motivation to students.

- Responsibility, I should accept the same expectations and standards that I demand from my future students.

-Captivation, I want to take the students attention. Bringing curious things up and relating the contents to everyday life makes easy to connect students with learning.

-Creativity, a good docent should be capable of surprising his/her pupil’s everyday with new activities, problems, games and new funny methodologies.

 BY ADALISA LICU 1º GEP B